


Ouch

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Astaire family dancers! [4]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 04:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4086550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Back to the AU world for a while. The subject of this story is something I'd love to have happened in real life. It's an odd title. I'll tell you why at the end!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ouch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OldMoviesAreIt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldMoviesAreIt/gifts), [Samantha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha/gifts).



It was a double whammy. Opening their mail at the breakfast table whilst Rose and Freddie chattered over their cornflakes, baby George seated between them like a tennis umpire, Fred and Ginger were suddenly aware that they were both in the process of opening identical blue envelopes.  
‘What’s yours?’, he asked.  
‘Dunno – we’d better look.’  
The children watched as their parents read silently, grinned at each other and rushed from either end of the table into one another’s arms.  
‘Ignore them’, said Freddie scornfully, ‘They’re being mushy again.’  
Meanwhile their parents, far from being romantic were excited and very happy. The letters had contained the same wording with only the names changed.

‘Congratulations. We are delighted to tell you that you have been nominated for an Academy Award for best actor/actress.’

After the fuss had died down they explained to the children that they were in a kind of competition for movie actors and they might just win a prize.  
‘Like a baseball bat’, jumped in Freddie.  
‘Or a big bouquet’, piped up Rose.  
‘No babies, just a little statue but it’s very important.’

They’d both had a busy eighteen months since George’s birth. For professional reasons and to ensure the public wouldn’t stale of their partnership both had made one film apart. This gave Ginger a chance to explore her dramatic talents and for Fred to try out different dance ideas. After all, as they reasoned, even if separated all day, they could still come together as a family in the evenings and they’d never spend any night apart. They had also squeezed in another movie as partners. Called’ The Night is filled with Music’ it was more dramatic than their previous lighthearted films though with comedy elements too. This was the film for which Fred had been nominated. This was a great surprise to him. Dancers were never candidates for awards though he was proud of his acting in this film. Her nomination was for a far more serious role where she’d acted her co-star off the screen. He was delighted she’d received recognition for her acting ability and felt sure she’d get the Oscar. He had no idea, however, of the sheer joy she had in his nomination because she felt his special talents deserved more than plaudits.

As the night of the awards ceremony approached Fred was very sanguine about his chances. He was, after all, up there with some of the greats including his friends Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart and in all honesty he rather hated these shindigs. In fact were it not for Ginger’s nomination he probably wouldn’t have gone but he knew his support for her was paramount. She had been in a flurry of preparation which he teased her about until, quite rightly, she pointed out that men had it lucky – put on a tuxedo or dress suit and that was it. Consequently he’d cheerfully put up with the various experts who’d rolled up at the door to talk dresses, hair, make up etc. In the end Ginger’s innate dress sense won out and she’d chosen a simple, full length evening gown in pale pink that Fred thought was a knockout.  
‘You’ll win the Oscar for the way you look’, had been his words when she paraded for him.

The night before they’d occupied themselves playing with the twins and cuddling baby George before the night time ritual of bathing and bedtime stories. Although she had been getting more and more jittery about the ceremony when she said to him, as they left the kids for the night, ‘Fred, awards mean nothing compared to our children and our marriage’, he knew she was stating what was most important in their hearts. That night he gave her the tender ‘forget about everything else’ sex that instinctively he knew she craved and they were soon lost in the intimacy and passion of their love.

The next morning passed in a whirl of activity for Ginger as a hairdresser and manicurist occupied her time. Fred withdrew to their den after breakfast. With the kids in school and George with his nanny this was a time for reading the racing pages and catching up on correspondence. When they met up again for lunch he had to admit her hair was breathtaking. She’d opted for a very classical style with her hair up and braided just as she wore it in one of their earlier pictures. It was a style that he had always loved and knew it was as much to please him as the audience tonight. They had barely begun to eat when she exclaimed, ‘We have to make a speech if we win. What will you say and what shall I say?’  
‘Well you could do what everyone else does and thank everyone from the midwife who helped you into this world to your faithful old pet dog…… or…… you could simply say thank you.’  
‘Maybe something in between’, she laughed.

They lazed about after lunch till the twins came home then spent time with them, as they’d be out before the children’s bedtime. After their meal Rose went off with her mother to supervise preparations for the evening. Fred left them to it. He’d shower and change quickly later but he conceded women needed time. He taught Freddie a new card game until his wife and daughter returned. Rose ran to her father, ‘Daddy, mom’s let me put on some of her perfume. Do I smell nice?’  
‘You smell as nice as your mom and she always smells pretty good to me’, he replied winking at Ginger. As he moved past her to go upstairs he added, ‘And you’re so sexy.’

When the chauffeured car arrived at 7.00pm the children gathered with Nanny Nina to wave them off. They were an elegant couple and when they arrived at the venue for the ceremony their fans cheered as they came down the red carpet and the couple rewarded them with beaming smiles and plenty of autographs. They soon took their seats joined by Ginger’s mother and Pan. They sat side by side, Fred frequently taking her hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. It was a long evening and there were many awards to be distributed before the two main acting ones. Ginger’s category was up first; she grasped his hand so tightly that he thought she’d cut off his blood supply. The tension ended with the opening of the winner’s envelope. Gable was presenting the Oscar and he smiled as he read the name. Fred had a brief twinge of despair, it could be Myrna Loy, he thought, she’s a good friend of his.  
‘And the winner is’, Gable paused, ‘Ginger Rogers’.  
She let out a squeal and threw her arms around Fred. He kissed her and pulled her to her feet. She hurried to the stage where she received her award to great applause. She glanced at her smiling husband and began.  
‘I want to thank all those of you who voted for me and everyone involved in the film. This means so much to me and I’ll treasure it always.’  
She blew a kiss towards Fred.  
‘And thank you Fred for all your encouragement and for being the kindest, most wonderful husband anyone could have.’

She returned to his side and they kissed again before she displayed her Oscar to Lela and Pan.  
‘Well done sweetie, I was so proud of you.’  
‘ I never thought I’d get this Fred, it’s marvellous.’  
Pan leaned across to stop their conversation.  
‘It’s your turn now Fred.’  
He was relaxed. There was no way a hoofer could win so, when his name was read out he sat like a dumb struck two year old. He came to as Ginger shook his arm.  
‘Fred you won. Get up there!’  
He stumbled forward, almost losing his footing and was scarcely aware of the audience giving him a standing ovation. Despite Ginger’s assurances over the years he never felt he was that good and now his fellow professionals had shown they acknowledged his skill as an actor. He clutched his award and made a heartfelt speech.  
‘Boy this is wonderful. I didn’t expect it but it means the world to me. My thanks go out to everyone involved in my career but I couldn’t be the man I am without the love of life and my favorite partner who just happens to be my wife. Love you Ginge.’

He trailed back to his table, shaking hands as he went until he finally got to the place he wanted to be – alongside his wife. They hugged and kissed again and he put his Oscar alongside hers.  
‘Look’, she said, ‘we’ve got another set of twins.’  
‘You know what this means?’, he replied grinning at her.  
‘No.’  
‘Doubling our salary’, he laughed, eyes twinkling.  
She cuffed him and they saw out the rest of the evening, hardly eating anything and holding hands a lot.

Leaving the auditorium required negotiating a phalanx of photographers, eager for the best shot of the happiest couple in Hollywood. Eventually reaching their car she snuggled up in his arms for the journey home and they exchanged gentle kisses as they were whisked away.

Reaching home there was a small task to do before retiring to their bedroom. Quietly they crept into the twin’s room. Both were soundly asleep, Freddie flat on his back, Rose curled up like a snail. They kissed them both softly then, with a smile for one another, placed the Oscars on the children’s bedside tables before tiptoeing out.

When they lay in their own bed, relaxed and knowing this would be a night filled with love, Fred smiled down at her, ‘We won Gin….. I won. I simply can’t believe how lucky we were’.  
She beckoned him closer.  
‘It’s not the only thing we’ve won darling. We won life’s lottery when we found each other’, she replied before he stopped her with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> After splitting from the partnership to do more dramatic roles Ginger won an Oscar for 'Kitty Foyle'. She'd had a letter from Fred before the ceremony in which he raved about her acting. When she won the award he sent a telegram. It simply said 'Ouch'.


End file.
